In the last couple of years, we’ve been to barefoot running and back. Runners looking for the next great technology to help them run with more efficiency, greater stamina, and fewer injuries have been pulled in two directions: minimalist and, now, maximalist. Perhaps you’ve heard about, or tried, the movement to a more “natural” form of forefoot running thought to be encouraged by a sleeker, less padded, lower-drop shoe—or full-on barefoot obsession.
While that minimalist philosophy-cum-biomechanical-aha has been a boon for some diehards willing to transition gradually to a less supportive shoe while building raw foot and ankle strength, for others it has been a fast path to injury. Granted, I was one of those impatient runners who bought into the run-like-a-gazelle craze. I loved the light, free feeling of those forefoot-forcing shoes and foot gloves. I thought it would be a first step to running unclad like a happy baby through the mountains. But I went too fast, got a nasty Achilles ache, and gave up.
Like many runners in our hurry-up culture, I’m already onto the next technology. After all, if my ultimate goal is to run harder trails for longer distances, I see no shame in trying the latest maximalist machinery all packaged up to help me do just that.
The brand running the show in this biomechanical arena is Hoka One One (pronounced o-nay, o-nay). To be fair, Hoka’s core shoe technology is not exactly as it appears, which is a super-wide, puffed-up midsole upon which a more traditional running shoe rests, putting you a couple of inches off the ground that barefooters are trying to get as close as possible to. There’s way more to it. The shoe is designed to create less impact and a smoother, more efficient gait. Hoka attempts to achieve this through a big but lightweight foam cushion, which Hoka-sponsored ultrarunner Karl Meltzer has described as running on a “big marshmallow.”
Many have compared Hoka’s concept to the oversized technology that worked so well for the modern powder ski and fat mountain-bike tire. Distance legend Marshall Ulrich, who wears two versions of Hokas for training and racing, says they’re not just for ultrarunners: “They are wonderful for the average runner. Repetitive impact causes injury; Hokas lessen the impact. Not to oversimplify, but would you drive a car with no suspension? How long do you think the frame of the car would last without a suspension? Why is the human body any different?”
The massive midsole (two and a half times the volume of a standard running shoe) is touted to absorb shock and therefore reduce fatigue, whether you’re on a long, gnarly mountain trail or pounding through the streets of downtown. The shoes’ “meta-rocker” geometry is designed with low drop and a sculptured outsole to create a fulcrum effect, gently guiding a runner through a more natural gait cycle. The last piece of the puzzle is an “active” foot frame that Hoka explains allows the foot to sink deep in the midsole for greater stability.
So do these clown shoes really work? If you ask the ultrarunning community, you’ll get an overwhelming yes. It’s thought that more than half of ultra racers are wearing the shoe to go longer and recover more quickly. If you ask the average runner, the jury may still be out. As runners like me experiment with Hokas, the feedback depends on your body mechanics, needs, and goals. I enjoyed the trail-specific Hoka Stinsons (pictured at top) on the downhills, bouncing along my local trails with a big grin. Climbing uphill, however, took some getting used to since I’m used to “feeling” the ground more and was wary that I’d twist an ankle being up so high. But Hoka devotees seem to trust the shoe’s innate stability and over time seem to fly down and up in these encasements.
Jody Derington, 43, a runner in Colorado Springs, Colorado, who completed the infamous Pikes Peak Marathon in Hokas last summer, is sold. A mid-foot pain she started having disappeared after going maximalist. “The pain went away and my feet and legs felt like they still had energy in them after long runs,” she shares. However, her running co-worker, Mary Baldwin, 25, who recently moved to the same Stinsons, says she loves her Hokas for downhills and pavement, but on technical trails and uphills—not so much. Baldwin says she has to be more cognizant of picking up her feet on tricky terrain, and says, “Uphill is a whole different animal in these shoes. The Hokas engage my foot and calf muscles differently than the more minimalistic trail shoes I’m used to, which makes uphills seem more taxing than usual.”
Ulrich’s advice? “The extra cushioning will work different muscles and will require more finely tuned support tissue surrounding the ankles,” he says. “I would suggest running a couple of miles and going back to your old shoes, then adding more miles gradually over at least two to four weeks.”
So I leave you with this, my runner friends: There is no right or wrong in minimalist or maximalist. Every shoemaker’s goal is to make running more fun for longer periods of time. You just have to experiment until you find your own happy path.
MSRP: $130–$170. Purchase a pair here.
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